How to start an Online Shop

Nigeria is a beautiful country, but it has a high rate of unemployment. Many of the educated and able-bodied youth are employed or unemployable. So we have to find alternatives to this problem. One way to tackle this problem is to open an online shop.

What do you plan to sell? If you plan to sell Snacks, Cakes or Food you can learn how to make some on the EliStatus website and try out a practical. Buy the ingredients and make it at home. Once you have mastered making the items give the items to family and friends to test out. Learn to build a brand.

Buy and Resell

If you do not want to learn a skill, you can buy and resell items online. The concept is simple, buy an item people like and resell at a higher price. Where can you find products to buy at cheap and affordable prices? I would suggest going to ABA or the local market to source these items. You do not have to hold actual stock of the item.

You need good pictures to get people to buy your product from your online shop. When an item looks bad in pictures or videos no one will want to buy from you. Either buy a fantastic Camera or buy a get a great smartphone with a good camera. Think of it this way. The client cannot see it in person so they must rely on the image to buy your product.

The background of the picture matters. I suggest you get this mini studio to help you achieve professional pictures. It is pretty cheap for what you can get out of it.

Advertise your products well. I will advise you use Facebook and Instagram ads. You can reach your target audience here. You have to learn to keep your customers happy. It is easier to get a customer who bought from you once to buy from you again. It is much more difficult to get new people to trust your brand and buy from you. This is why I said a website would be useful to you. When you have a website, you can have a private mailing list. You can send out newsletters every week to keep clients happy and updated on new products and services.

Delivery Company

You need a very good delivery company to assist you with deliveries. 3/4 times the customer would rather pay for shipping rather than pick it up themselves. You need people you can trust to help you with this. You cannot deliver everything yourself when your business grows so partner with a delivery company you trust.

Have more tips? Need some advice? Comment below and I will get back to you!